New York City Left-Turn Accident Lawyer
A driver waiting to turn left may have only seconds to judge the speed and distance of approaching traffic. When that driver turns too soon, the person coming from the opposite direction can suddenly find a vehicle directly across the lane with almost no time to stop.
Pazer Epstein Jaffe Fein & Gozenput, P.C. represents people injured in left-turn accidents throughout New York City. We investigate who had the right of way, when the turning driver began the maneuver, whether the collision could reasonably have been avoided, and what evidence can establish what happened when the drivers tell very different stories.
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When someone comes to us after a serious car accident, our focus is on helping them recover the compensation they need to move forward.
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verdict for a client who sustained an injury to her neck requiring surgery due to an automobile accident.
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for a woman struck by a bus resulting in brain injury and disability.
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at trial for a client who was a back seat passenger in South Carolina when a bus driver fell asleep and pushed the plaintiff’s vehicle off of the road.
Another Driver Turned Left Across Your Path. Who Had the Right of Way?
In New York, a driver turning left generally must yield to a vehicle approaching from the opposite direction when that vehicle is already within the intersection or close enough to constitute an immediate hazard. Whether the approaching vehicle was an immediate hazard depends on the circumstances before the turn, including the vehicles’ positions, movements, speed, traffic controls, and available time and distance.
This is the starting point in many left-turn crashes.
You are traveling straight.
A vehicle coming toward you slows or waits near the intersection.
Then it turns directly across your lane.
You brake, swerve, or do both, but there simply is not enough space.
New York law addresses that situation directly. Under New York Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1141, a driver intending to turn left within an intersection—or into an alley, private road, or driveway—must yield to approaching traffic that is already within the intersection or close enough to constitute an immediate hazard.
That means the legal question is not simply:
“Who entered the intersection first?”
It may be:
Where was the approaching vehicle when the left turn began, and was it close enough that the turn created an immediate danger?
That can require looking backward from the moment of impact.
How far apart were the vehicles?
How fast were they moving?
Was the turning vehicle stopped before beginning the maneuver?
Was there a dedicated turn arrow?
Could the approaching driver reasonably have anticipated the turn?
How much time existed between the beginning of the turn and the collision?
Those facts tell us far more than the damage alone.
What Does “Immediate Hazard” Actually Mean After a Left-Turn Crash?
New York’s left-turn statute uses the term “immediate hazard” to describe approaching traffic that is close enough that the turning driver must yield. The statute does not reduce that determination to a single universal number of feet or seconds. The analysis depends on the vehicles’ positions and movement and the circumstances existing when the driver committed to the left turn.
This phrase matters because left-turn cases are often really disputes about time and distance.
Imagine two very different situations.
In the first, an approaching vehicle is several blocks away when a driver begins and safely completes a left turn.
In the second, the approaching vehicle is almost at the intersection when the driver suddenly turns across its lane.
Both involve an approaching vehicle.
Only one creates the obvious immediate conflict contemplated by the right-of-way rule.
Real crashes often fall somewhere between those extremes.
That is why an investigation may examine surveillance footage, dashcam recordings, witness observations, vehicle speeds, road geometry, signal timing, impact location, braking, and other evidence capable of reconstructing the seconds before the turn.
The crucial moment is often not the impact.
It is the moment the turning driver committed to crossing the approaching vehicle’s path.
“I Hit Their Car. Doesn't That Make the Accident My Fault?”
No. Striking the side or rear portion of a left-turning vehicle does not automatically make the approaching driver responsible. A driver traveling straight may have the right of way when another vehicle turns across the lane and leaves too little time or distance to avoid impact. Vehicle damage helps reconstruct the collision, but fault depends on the events that caused the vehicles’ paths to cross.
This is one of the easiest things to misunderstand after a left-turn collision.
Your car has front-end damage.
Their car has damage along the passenger side.
Looking only at photographs, it can appear that you “hit them.”
Physically, you did.
Legally, that does not answer why the crash happened.
Suppose you were traveling through an intersection when another driver turned left directly across your lane. You hit the brakes immediately but could not stop before striking the side of the turning vehicle.
The front of your car made contact.
But the liability question is whether the other driver should have yielded before crossing your path.
The opposite can also occur. An approaching driver may be speeding, ignoring a traffic signal, or otherwise driving unsafely in a way that becomes relevant to fault.
This is why vehicle damage is evidence rather than a verdict.
It helps reconstruct how the vehicles came together.
The rest of the evidence explains why.
What If Both Drivers Had a Green Light?
Both drivers can have green indications and still have different right-of-way obligations. An approaching driver may be permitted to continue straight while a driver facing the opposite direction is permitted to turn left only after yielding to approaching traffic. A protected left-turn arrow can change the analysis, so the precise signal indications and timing matter.
A green light does not always mean:
“Go, and everyone else must stop.”
At many intersections, opposing traffic receives green signals at the same time.
One driver intends to continue straight.
The other intends to turn left across that driver’s path.
The left turn may be permitted—but only when it can be completed consistently with the applicable right-of-way rules.
A protected left-turn arrow creates a different situation because the signal may specifically authorize the turning movement while conflicting traffic is stopped.
Under New York Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1111, traffic-control signals determine which movements are permitted, while the separate left-turn rule governs the obligation to yield to approaching traffic when applicable.
That distinction is why “my light was green” may not settle a left-turn accident.
The better questions are:
What exact signal did each driver have, what movement was each making, and who had the right of way for those movements at that moment?
The Other Driver Says You Were Speeding. Does That Change Who Was at Fault?
Speed can affect fault in a left-turn collision, but an allegation of speeding does not automatically excuse a driver who turned across approaching traffic. The investigation should determine the approaching vehicle’s actual speed, its distance from the intersection when the turn began, whether the turning driver could reasonably judge the available gap, and whether either driver’s conduct contributed to the crash.
This allegation appears naturally in left-turn cases.
The turning driver says:
“I had plenty of time. They must have been speeding.”
Sometimes there is evidence supporting that claim.
Sometimes it is simply an explanation offered after the collision.
The distinction matters.
New York’s speed law does more than establish maximum limits. New York Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1180 requires drivers to travel at a speed that is reasonable and prudent under existing conditions and specifically addresses appropriate reduced speed when approaching and crossing intersections.
But speed should be established from evidence when it becomes part of the liability dispute.
Video may help.
Electronic vehicle information may be relevant in appropriate cases.
Physical evidence, braking, distance measurements, witness observations, and accident reconstruction may also contribute.
And speed must be considered alongside the left-turning driver’s own obligation to yield.
The useful question is not:
“Can we blame somebody for speeding?”
It is:
What was each driver actually doing during the seconds when this collision became unavoidable?
How Do You Prove How Close You Were When the Other Driver Started Turning?
The distance between an approaching vehicle and a left-turning vehicle can sometimes be reconstructed from surveillance video, dashcams, witnesses, vehicle data, braking evidence, roadway measurements, traffic-signal timing, vehicle damage, and accident reconstruction. The goal is to determine where the vehicles were and how they were moving when the left turn began—not merely where they ended up after impact.
Nobody expects a driver involved in a violent collision to say:
“I was exactly 83 feet from the intersection when the other vehicle began turning.”
Human beings do not experience crashes that way.
Fortunately, evidence can sometimes provide information that memory cannot.
Video may show the approaching vehicle passing a fixed object just before the turn begins.
That object can provide a reference point.
Lane markings, crosswalks, utility poles, storefronts, parking spaces, signs, and other fixed features may help establish distance.
A dashcam may reveal timing.
Vehicle information may help establish speed or braking in an appropriate case.
Witnesses may describe whether the approaching vehicle was already near the intersection when the other driver began turning.
Several imperfect pieces of evidence can become powerful when they point in the same direction.
The purpose is not to manufacture mathematical precision where none exists.
It is to reconstruct the collision as accurately as the available evidence permits.
What If There Is No Video of the Left-Turn Accident?
A left-turn accident can still be proven without video. Witnesses, vehicle damage, photographs, roadway evidence, traffic controls, police observations, electronic vehicle information, debris, braking evidence, and accident reconstruction may help establish the vehicles’ positions and movements. Video is valuable when available, but it is not required for a strong liability case.
Clear surveillance footage can make a disputed collision much easier to understand.
But most accident cases do not arrive wrapped in a perfect multi-camera replay.
Without video, the investigation becomes more dependent on the other evidence the collision left behind.
Where is the damage on each vehicle?
Where did the vehicles come to rest?
What traffic controls governed the intersection?
Were there skid or tire marks?
Where was debris located?
Did witnesses see the turn begin?
What did the drivers say immediately afterward?
Were there lane markings or turn arrows relevant to the maneuver?
Can vehicle information provide useful data?
Sometimes the physical evidence supports one driver’s account far better than the other.
The absence of video removes one potential source of proof.
It does not erase everything else.
What If the Police Report Blames You?
A police report can contain important evidence, but it does not necessarily make the final legal determination of fault. An officer who did not witness the collision may rely on driver statements, witness accounts, vehicle positions, apparent violations, and observations made after the crash. Video, photographs, vehicle data, additional witnesses, and other evidence may support or contradict the report.
An unfavorable police report can feel devastating.
You know what you saw.
You know the other vehicle turned across your lane.
Then you read the report and find a description that does not match your memory of the crash.
Take the discrepancy seriously.
But do not assume that one document has permanently decided the case.
Police officers responding to collisions have an important job: secure the scene, address immediate safety concerns, gather information, document observations, and investigate apparent violations.
They may not have access at the scene to surveillance footage discovered days later.
They may not yet have electronic vehicle information.
A witness may have left.
One driver may have been transported for medical care.
Additional evidence can change the factual picture.
A police report is part of the investigation.
It is not necessarily the end of it.
Should You Give the Other Driver's Insurance Company a Recorded Statement?
You should be cautious about giving a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurance company before understanding your rights and the facts of the collision. The insurer is investigating liability and damages on behalf of its insured and its own interests. You should not guess about speed, distance, timing, injuries, or other facts you do not know simply because an adjuster asks for an immediate answer.
Left-turn crashes invite questions that are difficult to answer precisely from memory.
“How far away were you?”
“How fast were you going?”
“When did you first see our insured?”
“How many seconds passed before impact?”
“Could you have stopped?”
An adjuster may ask those questions calmly and professionally.
That does not make them easy questions.
If you estimate that the turning vehicle was “maybe 100 feet away,” that estimate can later be treated as though you measured it.
If you say your shoulder “isn’t too bad” two days after the crash and later require substantial treatment, the earlier statement may become part of the claim file.
Truthfulness does not require certainty you do not possess.
“I don’t know” is a truthful answer when you genuinely do not know.
And before providing a detailed recorded account to an opposing insurer after a serious injury collision, it can be sensible to understand why the statement is being requested and how it may be used.
Why Injured New Yorkers Trust Us
1.
Decades of NYC Personal Injury Experience
For more than 70 years, our firm has represented injured New Yorkers in serious personal injury and motor vehicle accident cases. We understand how insurance companies evaluate claims and how to build cases that withstand scrutiny.
2.
Handling Complex NYC Car Accident Cases
Our attorneys represent victims injured in car accidents, truck collisions, rideshare crashes, pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents, hit-and-run collisions, and other serious traffic-related incidents throughout New York City.
3.
Downtown Manhattan Office Serving All Five Boroughs
Located in Lower Manhattan, our office is easily accessible from throughout New York City. We represent clients across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island and can move quickly to preserve evidence after a serious crash.
4.
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Our attorneys have secured significant verdicts and settlements in cases involving automobile accidents, pedestrian injuries, truck collisions, bus crashes, and other catastrophic injury matters throughout New York.
5.
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Meet Our New York City Car Accident Attorneys
For decades, the attorneys at Pazer Epstein Jaffe Fein & Gozenput have represented individuals and families throughout New York City in serious personal injury and motor vehicle accident cases. Our legal team combines extensive courtroom experience, strategic case preparation, and a commitment to personalized client service to help accident victims pursue the compensation they deserve.
Michael Jaffe
Partner
MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT LITIGATION
Representing injured car accident victims throughout New York City.
Matthew J. Fein
Partner
MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT LITIGATION
Helping clients pursue compensation after serious motor vehicle accidents.
Eugene Gozenput
Partner
MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT LITIGATION
Advocating for injury victims throughout Manhattan and the five boroughs.
Left-Turn Accidents Often Become T-Bone or Near Head-On Collisions
A left-turn accident can produce a severe side-impact, angled frontal, or near head-on collision because the turning vehicle crosses the path of approaching traffic. The exact impact depends on how far the turn has progressed when the vehicles meet. This can expose occupants to substantial crash forces and sometimes cause secondary impacts with other vehicles, curbs, or fixed objects.
“Left-turn accident” describes the maneuver that created the conflict.
It does not tell us where the vehicles ultimately hit each other.
If the turning vehicle has almost crossed the approaching lane, the approaching driver may strike its passenger side.
That becomes a classic T-bone collision.
If the turn has barely begun, the vehicles may collide front-to-front at an angle.
The approaching driver may swerve and hit another vehicle, a parked car, a curb, or something along the sidewalk.
That distinction matters because the maneuver and the collision configuration answer different questions.
Our New York City T-Bone Accident Lawyer resource explains the particular liability and injury issues that arise when one vehicle strikes the side of another.
Likewise, our New York City Intersection Accident Lawyer resource examines the broader right-of-way and evidence disputes that occur when competing traffic movements meet within an intersection.
Here, the focus is narrower:
Did the left-turning driver cross the approaching vehicle’s path when it was unsafe to do so?
What If the Driver Never Used a Turn Signal?
Failure to signal can become important when it deprived another road user of reasonable warning that a vehicle was about to turn. New York law requires turning movements to be made with reasonable safety and requires an appropriate signal. Whether a missing or late signal contributed to a particular collision depends on the circumstances and what the other driver could reasonably see and anticipate.
A turn signal does not give a driver the right of way.
It communicates an intention.
That distinction matters.
A driver cannot activate a left-turn signal and then immediately cross in front of approaching traffic as though the blinking light creates permission to proceed.
But failing to signal can create another problem.
The approaching driver may have no warning that the vehicle ahead or opposite is about to move across the lane.
Under New York Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1163, a driver may not turn from a direct course unless the movement can be made with reasonable safety, and the required turn signal generally must be given continuously during at least the last 100 feet traveled before turning.
Whether the missing signal actually contributed to the crash still requires factual analysis.
Could the approaching driver otherwise tell the vehicle intended to turn?
Was it already positioned in a dedicated left-turn lane?
Did it stop before turning?
Did the turn begin suddenly?
Would earlier warning realistically have given the approaching driver more time to react?
The signal matters most when its absence helps explain why the collision occurred.
What If a Truck, Parked Vehicle, or Other Obstruction Blocked the Driver's View?
An obstructed view can be highly relevant in a left-turn crash, but poor visibility does not automatically excuse an unsafe turn. The investigation should determine what each driver could see, what blocked the view, whether the obstruction was temporary or permanent, and whether a reasonably careful driver should have waited for a clearer view before crossing approaching traffic.
New York City intersections are rarely laboratory-perfect.
A delivery truck may occupy the corner.
A large SUV may block the view of an adjacent lane.
Construction barriers can alter sight lines.
Parked vehicles, scaffolding, signs, glare, darkness, weather, and roadway geometry can all affect what drivers can see.
Sometimes the turning driver’s explanation is:
“I couldn’t see the other car.”
That immediately raises another question:
If you could not see whether traffic was approaching, why was it safe to turn across the lane?
That does not automatically establish fault. Every situation is different.
But visibility should be investigated from the driver’s actual perspective.
Photographs taken from the sidewalk days later may not reproduce what someone sitting behind the steering wheel could see at the time of the collision.
Temporary obstructions are especially important to document quickly because the truck drives away, the construction changes, and the intersection can look completely different a week later.
Who Pays Medical Bills and Lost Wages After a New York Left-Turn Accident?
New York’s No-Fault system generally provides first-party benefits for covered people injured in motor vehicle accidents without first requiring proof of who caused the crash. Basic economic loss can include qualifying medical and rehabilitation expenses, lost earnings subject to statutory limits, and certain other necessary expenses. A separate liability claim may address losses recoverable outside the No-Fault system.
Being clearly convinced that the other driver caused the accident does not necessarily mean that driver’s liability insurer immediately starts paying your hospital bills.
New York uses a No-Fault system for defined first-party economic losses arising from covered motor vehicle accidents.
Under New York Insurance Law § 5102, “basic economic loss” includes up to $50,000 per person in combined qualifying losses, including necessary medical expenses, certain rehabilitation costs, lost earnings subject to statutory rules, and specified other reasonable and necessary expenses.
This system allows qualifying first-party benefits to be addressed without waiting for the entire liability dispute to be resolved.
But No-Fault does not mean nobody caused the accident.
And it does not necessarily compensate every loss resulting from a serious injury.
That is why a person injured in a left-turn crash may simultaneously have a No-Fault claim for qualifying first-party benefits and a separate liability claim arising from the other driver’s conduct.
Can You Recover for Pain and Suffering After a Left-Turn Accident?
A person covered by New York’s No-Fault law generally must sustain a statutory “serious injury” to recover non-economic damages such as pain and suffering from another covered person. The current definition includes categories such as fractures, significant disfigurement, permanent loss of use, permanent consequential limitation, and significant limitation of a body function or system.
“Serious injury” has a particular meaning in New York motor vehicle law.
It does not simply mean:
“This injury seriously disrupted my life.”
Under the current version of New York Insurance Law § 5102(d), the statutory categories include death, dismemberment, significant disfigurement, fracture, loss of a fetus, permanent loss of use of a body organ, member, function or system, permanent consequential limitation of use of a body organ or member, and significant limitation of use of a body function or system.
New York Insurance Law § 5104 governs when non-economic loss may be recovered in covered motor vehicle cases.
The medical evidence therefore matters for more than establishing what treatment someone needs.
It can also determine whether the injuries satisfy the legal threshold governing certain damages.
That analysis should be based on the actual diagnosis, medical findings, limitations, prognosis, and applicable law—not assumptions based on how dramatic the vehicle damage looks.
What If You Were Partly Responsible for the Collision?
Shared responsibility can materially affect a New York motor vehicle injury claim. Under the current 2026 version of CPLR § 1411, a claimant in a personal injury action subject to Article 51 of the Insurance Law is barred from recovery when the claimant’s culpable conduct is greater than that of the person—or combined persons—from whom recovery is sought. Otherwise, the claimant’s fault can reduce recoverable damages.
Left-turn collisions are particularly vulnerable to oversimplified fault arguments.
“The other driver turned left, so they’re automatically 100 percent responsible.”
Or:
“You hit their car, so you caused it.”
Neither is a substitute for investigating what both drivers actually did.
Perhaps the turning driver failed to yield while the approaching driver was also traveling too fast.
Perhaps the approaching driver had the right of way but was distracted and failed to react to a danger that had become apparent.
Perhaps the turning driver says the approaching vehicle entered against a signal.
Those allegations need evidence.
And under the current 2026 version of New York CPLR § 1411, the allocation of fault can have particularly significant consequences in personal injury actions subject to Article 51 of the Insurance Law.
This is one reason we should not treat fault percentages as an afterthought.
The investigation should establish the conduct of every person whose actions may have contributed to the collision.
What Compensation May Be Available After a Serious Left-Turn Accident?
Compensation after a serious left-turn accident depends on the injuries, financial losses, fault, insurance coverage, and New York’s motor vehicle insurance rules. Depending on the circumstances, recoverable losses may include medical expenses outside applicable first-party benefits, lost income, diminished earning capacity, future treatment and care, pain and suffering, and other legally compensable damages.
The type of accident does not determine what a claim is worth.
The consequences do.
A person who fractures a wrist and returns to normal function after treatment has a different claim from someone who sustains a spinal injury requiring surgery.
A person who misses two weeks of work has different economic losses from someone whose injuries permanently prevent a return to the same occupation.
That is why serious injury claims should account for what has already happened and what the medical evidence indicates may happen next.
Past medical treatment matters.
So can future treatment.
Lost wages matter.
So can diminished earning capacity.
Current limitations matter.
So can permanent limitations that affect work, independence, recreation, family responsibilities, and everyday life.
Insurance coverage and the number of responsible parties can also affect the practical recovery available.
There is no useful calculator that can reduce those variables to “the average left-turn settlement.”
What If the Turning Driver Has Too Little Insurance?
If the driver who caused a serious left-turn crash does not have enough liability insurance to cover the losses, additional sources of coverage may need to be investigated. Depending on the circumstances, supplementary uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, commercial policies, vehicle ownership, employer responsibility, or other potentially responsible parties may affect the available recovery.
Severe injuries and adequate insurance coverage do not always arrive together.
A driver can cause a devastating collision while carrying liability limits far below the losses the injured person ultimately experiences.
That makes insurance investigation important.
Who owned the turning vehicle?
Was the driver working at the time?
Was it a commercial vehicle?
Was the driver operating for a rideshare or delivery platform?
Does another policy potentially apply?
What uninsured or underinsured motorist protection is available?
The answers can matter enormously when an injury requires surgery, creates long-term disability, or causes substantial lost earning capacity.
Determining fault identifies who caused the collision.
Determining coverage helps answer a different question:
What resources may actually be available to compensate the person who was injured?
Why Left-Turn Accident Evidence Should Be Preserved Quickly
Evidence can disappear quickly after a left-turn crash. Surveillance footage may be overwritten, witnesses can become difficult to locate, vehicles are repaired or salvaged, and temporary sight obstructions or construction conditions can change. Early preservation is especially important when the dispute concerns speed, distance, signal timing, visibility, or how close the approaching vehicle was when the turn began.
Remember the central question from the beginning of this page:
Where was the approaching vehicle when the other driver committed to the turn?
The best evidence for answering it may not exist forever.
A security camera may overwrite its recording.
A witness who stopped for five minutes may never pass through that intersection again.
The vehicles may be repaired or salvaged.
The delivery truck that blocked someone’s view leaves.
Construction barriers move.
Even roadway markings and signal configurations can eventually change.
This creates an odd mismatch in accident cases.
The legal claim may exist for a considerable period.
The best factual evidence may have a lifespan measured in days.
When liability is seriously disputed, preserving the evidence early can prevent the case from becoming unnecessarily dependent on competing memories much later.
Frequently Asked Questions About Left-Turn Accidents in New York City
Left-turn crashes can produce confusing disputes about right of way, green lights, speed, vehicle damage, turn signals, and whether the approaching driver could have avoided the collision. These answers address some of the narrower questions that often come up after a serious New York City left-turn accident.
Is the left-turning driver always at fault in New York?
Short answer: No, but New York law generally requires a left-turning driver to yield to approaching traffic that is within the intersection or close enough to constitute an immediate hazard.
The circumstances still matter. Traffic signals, speed, distance, visibility, and the conduct of both drivers may affect liability.
If I was going straight, did I automatically have the right of way?
Short answer: Not automatically in every situation.
A driver proceeding straight may have the right of way over an opposing left-turning vehicle, but traffic signals, signs, speed, and other circumstances must be considered. A protected turn arrow, for example, can materially change which movement is permitted.
Can both drivers have a green light during a left-turn accident?
Short answer: Yes.
At some intersections, opposing traffic receives green indications simultaneously. A driver going straight may proceed while an opposing driver may turn left only when the movement can be made consistently with the applicable right-of-way rules. A protected left-turn arrow is different.
What if the other driver turned left directly in front of me and I couldn't stop?
Short answer: The available time and distance can be central to determining fault.
Evidence may help establish where your vehicle was when the turn began, your speed, when braking started, and whether the turning driver crossed your path when your vehicle was close enough to constitute an immediate hazard.
What if I swerved and never actually hit the turning vehicle?
Short answer: Physical contact is not necessarily required for another driver’s unsafe maneuver to cause an accident.
If avoiding the turning vehicle caused you to collide with another car, curb, barrier, cyclist, pedestrian, or fixed object, the events leading to the evasive maneuver may need to be investigated.
Does hitting the passenger side of the turning car mean I caused the accident?
Short answer: No.
The location of the damage shows where the vehicles contacted each other, not who had the right of way. An approaching driver may strike the side of a vehicle that turned directly across the lane.
What if the other driver says I was speeding?
Short answer: An allegation of speeding should be tested against the evidence.
Speed can be relevant, but it does not automatically eliminate the turning driver’s duty to yield. Video, vehicle information, physical evidence, witnesses, and reconstruction may help determine the approaching vehicle’s actual speed.
Can failure to use a turn signal make the other driver responsible?
Short answer: Failure to signal can be relevant when it contributed to the collision, but it does not automatically determine fault.
The issue is whether the missing or late signal deprived another road user of warning and whether that failure contributed to how the crash occurred.
What if a parked truck blocked the left-turning driver's view?
Short answer: An obstructed view can be important, but it does not necessarily excuse turning when approaching traffic cannot be seen safely.
The investigation should document the obstruction, what each driver could see, and whether the turning driver should reasonably have waited for a clearer view.
Can a left-turn accident happen somewhere other than an intersection?
Short answer: Yes.
New York’s left-turn right-of-way rule also addresses turns into alleys, private roads, and driveways. Left-turn collisions can therefore occur at parking lots, garages, businesses, residences, and other locations outside traditional street intersections.
What if the driver turned left from the wrong lane?
Short answer: Improper lane position can become additional evidence of an unsafe turning maneuver.
The applicable lane markings, traffic controls, roadway configuration, and the driver’s movement should be documented when lane position may have contributed to the collision.
What if I was riding a motorcycle when the driver turned left in front of me?
Short answer: The same fundamental right-of-way issue can arise, but a left-turn collision can be especially dangerous for a motorcyclist.
Visibility, the driver’s perception of the motorcycle’s distance and speed, the turning maneuver, and the rider’s available reaction time can become important evidence. Motorcycle cases also involve insurance rules that differ in significant ways from ordinary covered automobile No-Fault claims.
What if I was a pedestrian or cyclist hit by a left-turning driver?
Short answer: Different traffic and right-of-way rules may apply when a turning driver crosses a pedestrian’s or cyclist’s path.
The signal phase, crosswalk, bike lane or roadway position, driver’s observations, visibility, and the movements of everyone involved should be investigated rather than assuming the automobile-versus-automobile rule answers the case.
How much is a left-turn accident case worth?
Short answer: There is no reliable average settlement value for a left-turn accident.
The value depends on the injuries, medical evidence, prognosis, lost income, future losses, pain and suffering, fault, insurance coverage, and strength of the evidence supporting the claim.
How long do I have to file a left-turn accident lawsuit in New York?
Short answer: Many negligence-based motor vehicle injury lawsuits in New York are subject to a three-year limitations period, but that is not a universal deadline.
Claims involving government vehicles or entities and certain other circumstances can have different and substantially shorter requirements. The applicable deadlines should be determined from the facts of the particular accident.
Will I have to go to court?
Short answer: Not necessarily.
Many motor vehicle claims resolve without trial. Litigation may become necessary when the parties dispute fault, the seriousness of the injuries, damages, insurance issues, or the amount of fair compensation. A strong case should be developed from
When should I contact a lawyer after a serious left-turn accident?
Short answer: Early legal help can be particularly valuable when injuries are significant, fault is disputed, or evidence may disappear.
An attorney can investigate the vehicles’ movements, traffic controls, speed and distance, identify video and witnesses, preserve evidence, review insurance coverage, and help protect the claim while you focus on medical care.
Get Answers After a Serious Left-Turn Accident
A left-turn crash can happen in seconds and create months or years of consequences. You may know that another driver crossed directly into your path while an insurance company argues about your speed, your reaction, or whether you should have stopped sooner. Those questions should be answered with evidence, not assumptions.
If you were seriously injured in a left-turn accident in New York City, Pazer Epstein Jaffe Fein & Gozenput, P.C. can investigate what happened, determine how New York law applies to the collision, identify available insurance coverage, and help you understand your options.
Talk To Us For FreeServing Accident Victims Throughout New York City From Our Lower Manhattan Office
Pazer Epstein Jaffe Fein & Gozenput represents injury victims throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island from our office at 20 Vesey Street in Lower Manhattan. Conveniently located near multiple major subway lines and transportation hubs, our office is easily accessible to clients across New York City seeking experienced legal representation after a serious accident.
Our Downtown Manhattan Office
Pazer Epstein Jaffe Fein & Gozenput, P.C.
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New York, NY 10007
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Our firm is located in downtown Manhattan, just steps from major subway lines serving every borough of New York City. Being based in Lower Manhattan allows us to stay closely connected to the courts, agencies, and neighborhoods where serious personal injury cases are handled, while remaining easy to reach for clients traveling from throughout the city.
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Our Lower Manhattan office at 20 Vesey Street is conveniently located near several major subway stations serving Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. Clients visiting our office can easily reach us using the A, C, E, 2, 3, 4, 5, J, and Z lines, with multiple stations located just a short walk away.
Fulton Street Station
A
C
E
2
3
4
5
J
Z
Approx. 2–4 minute walk
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2
3
Approx. 3-5 minute walk
Wall Street Station
2
3
Approx. 5-7 minute walk
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Approx. 5-7 minute walk